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Honda Bay, Palawan - Things to Do at Honda Bay

Things to Do at Honda Bay

Complete Guide to Honda Bay in Palawan

About Honda Bay

Honda Bay lies 10 kilometers north of Puerto Princesa, a calm turquoise bowl freckled with coral knobs you reach by bangka, those slim wooden outriggers that reek of diesel and salt. The bay stays gentler and easier than El Nido's wilder show up north, so travelers score island-hopping without spine-rattling speedboat slams. Water shades shift from pale jade over shallow flats to navy where the reef plunges. On a clear dawn you stop talking mid-word. Most trips run as day hops, ticking three to five islands depending on how slow you move. Philippine time feels slower here: bangkas nudge wooden jetties or sit offshore while you wade, mask in hand, warm brine kissing humid skin. Starfish Island pulls the masses. Expect company on its sandbar. Luli Island half vanishes at high tide, a neat trick that pays off if you time it right. Early birds win. Morning light rakes the surface, coral visible from the boat, breeze slack until afternoon chop kicks in. Beat the 10am rush and you're already on island two.

What to See & Do

Starfish Island

Starfish Island is the postcard. The sandbar is bone-white, fine as sugar. At low tide you stroll the whole spine while water kisses your shins. Namesake starfish huddle in inches of sea, rough orange disks on pale sand. Crowds land mid-morning when bangkas cluster. Voices break the spell. Wait an hour. They leave. The edges go quiet again.

Luli Island

Luli is short for 'lulubog-lilitaw', sinking and rising. Low tide shows more sand. High tide swallows half. Snorkel the eastern edge for the bay's best shallow reef. Hard coral spreads decent and reef fish flick through creaking formations if you hover still.

Cowrie Island

Cowrie is the bay's most built-up stop. There's a resort, solid shade, and a restaurant where grilled fish arrives smoky with charcoal and calamansi. Facilities let you lunch without wading back to the bangka. The beach stays clean and wide enough to breathe. Snorkeling straight off is mediocre. Yet the island books the better reef dives.

Pandan Island

Pandan rides the outer ring. Fewer boats bother. The hush feels different, air thick with mangrove scent. Beach is narrower, less photogenic. But surrounding coral looks healthier, probably thanks to lighter feet. Extra 20 minutes of boat time pays off.

Honda Bay Reef Diving

Underwater, Honda Bay gardens roll from knee-deep down to 18 meters, with sea turtles sometimes gliding the deeper walls. Visibility on flat days hits 15 to 20 meters. Purple and blue corals blaze against white sand lanes. Operators at the wharf and Cowrie run daily dives; Open Water certs handle the sites fine, currents tame inside the sheltered bowl.

Practical Information

Opening Hours

Honda Bay Wharf sends boats out from 6:30am to mid-morning. Day trips finish around 3:00, 4:00pm. No official gate time. But bangkas stick to daylight. After 5pm you'll struggle to find a ride.

Tickets & Pricing

Hopping here costs less than El Nido. Packages bundle bangka, entrance fees, snorkel sets. Full-day five-island runs pricier than half-day three-island; three is plenty for most. Environmental fees are paid separately at the wharf. Bring small bills.

Best Time to Visit

November through May is the safe bet. Dry season peaks February through April when water clarity peaks and dawn light over the bay is unreal. June through October means southwest monsoon. Tours still sail on calm days, expect delays and chop. Leave before 8am for glassy water and empty sand regardless of month.

Suggested Duration

Half-day, three islands, four to five hours dock to dock. Full-day with lunch on Cowrie stretches six to eight. Most travelers exit after the shorter run. Choose long only if you're diving or chasing the outer ring.

Getting There

From Puerto Princesa's city center, a tricycle to Honda Bay Wharf takes around 30 to 40 minutes along the road heading north out of town. It's a straightforward ride through coconut groves and small barangays, the air growing noticeably saltier as you get closer to the coast. Tricycles from the Rizal Avenue area run this route regularly. Most guesthouses in Puerto Princesa can arrange a morning pickup if you'd rather not flag one down yourself. Some tour packages include wharf transfers. That's the convenient option if you're also booking your island-hopping through your accommodation. The wharf itself is well-signed once you're on the right road north. Boats depart from the main jetty area.

Things to Do Nearby

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River
The UNESCO-listed underground river sits about 80 kilometers northwest of the city and is the reason most travelers come to Puerto Princesa at all. It pairs well with Honda Bay on a two-day itinerary. River in the morning of day one, islands on day two. Both require early starts. The river tour needs advance permits. The boat ride through the cavern, with stalactites dripping overhead and the sound of water echoing in the dark, is a different experience from Honda Bay's sunlit shallows.
Iwahig Firefly Watching
Firefly tours on the Iwahig River run after dark, about 20 kilometers south of Puerto Princesa. The mangrove trees along the banks light up with synchronized firefly blinks. It sounds corny until you're drifting through it in a small boat. The air is warm and smells of river mud. Watch the trees pulse green. It's a natural pairing with a Honda Bay day trip. Islands in the morning, fireflies in the evening.
Ugong Rock Adventures
Roughly 40 kilometers north of Puerto Princesa, Ugong Rock offers spelunking through a limestone cave system followed by a zipline back down to the river. It's a crowd-pleasing combination that works well as an add-on for active travelers. The cave's narrow passages require some scrambling. The guano smell in the deeper sections is memorable in its own way. It's typically included in combination day-tour packages out of Puerto Princesa.
Baker's Hill
A slightly eccentric hillside garden and bakery sits on the road south of Puerto Princesa. Worth knowing about if you're heading back into town from Honda Bay Wharf and need a break. The baked goods, the hopia and local pastries, are what the place is known for. The hilltop views back toward the bay on a clear afternoon give a sense of the landscape you've just been in the water of.
Puerto Princesa City Proper
The city itself doesn't demand much time. Rizal Avenue in the early evening has a density of seafood restaurants where the grilled pusit (squid) arrives at the table still sizzling. The charred ink smell mixes with the exhaust of tricycles threading through the traffic. It's the logical base for Honda Bay day trips. A night or two there gives you a feel for the quieter, less tourist-facing side of Palawan.

Tips & Advice

Book your bangka the afternoon before if possible. Honda Bay Wharf gets busy on weekends and during peak season (February, April). The best boats and operators fill up early.
Bring reef-safe sunscreen only. Standard sunscreens with oxybenzone are banned in many Philippine marine protected areas. Coral damage from chemical sunscreens is visibly worse around the high-traffic islands.
Low tide timing matters for Luli Island specifically. If you want to see it at its most dramatic, half-submerged, aim to arrive there around mid-morning when the tide is coming in rather than fully out.
The snorkel gear included in most tour packages is functional but not great. If snorkeling is your primary reason for coming, consider bringing your own mask for a better seal and clearer view of the reef.
Waterproof bags or dry sacks are worth having for electronics. Bangka transfers between islands involve wading through shallows. Bags get wet more often than not even in calm conditions.

Tours & Activities at Honda Bay

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Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Honda Bay in Palawan, and What Can You Do There?

Honda Bay is a sheltered bay about 10 kilometres north of Puerto Princesa City, famous for island-hopping tours among a cluster of small coral-fringed islands — including Cowrie, Luli, Starfish, and Pandan. A typical full-day tour covers three or four islands, with stops for snorkeling, swimming, and beachcombing. The bay's calm, protected waters make it one of the most accessible marine day trips in all of Palawan, genuinely suitable for families, beginners, and non-swimmers.

What Islands Can You Visit on a Honda Bay Island-hopping Tour?

The tour circuit typically covers three or four stops chosen from about eight small islands in the bay. The most popular are Cowrie Island (beach resort, good snorkeling), Luli Island (a sandbar that partially submerges at high tide), and Starfish Island (named for the starfish visible in the shallows). Pandan Island sits farther out — about 45 minutes by pump boat — and offers the richest reef in the bay, worth the modest extra fee for anyone who prioritises snorkeling.

How Do You Get to Honda Bay from Puerto Princesa?

The departure point is Santa Lourdes Wharf (also called Honda Bay Wharf), roughly 10 kilometres north of Puerto Princesa's city centre — a 20-minute tricycle or jeepney ride. From the wharf you board an outrigger pump boat, pay the environmental fee (around PHP 100), and the island entrance fees at each stop. Most tours depart between 8 and 9 a.m. and return by mid-afternoon, so an early start from the city is easy.

Can You Do a Honda Bay Tour Independently, Without Booking a Package?

Yes — Honda Bay is one of the more DIY-friendly day trips in Palawan. Head to Santa Lourdes Wharf and negotiate directly with boat operators; a private bangka (outrigger boat) for a small group typically costs PHP 1,200–2,000 for the day, with island entrance and environmental fees paid separately at each stop. Arriving before 8 a.m. gives you the best choice of boats and the most relaxed bargaining conditions. Skip the city-hotel packages if you're comfortable navigating the wharf yourself — the savings are real.

What Is the History of Honda Bay?

Honda Bay takes its name from the Spanish word hondo, meaning deep — a nod to the bay's relatively deeper waters compared with the shallow reefs surrounding its islands. Local fishing communities have worked the bay for centuries, and the area saw Japanese military activity during the Second World War occupation of Palawan. Today it is managed as an eco-tourism zone under Puerto Princesa City's strict environmental ordinances, which prohibit collecting corals and shells and require reef-safe sunscreen on the islands.

What Is Iwahig Firefly Watching, and Is It Near Honda Bay?

Iwahig firefly watching takes place on the Iwahig River, about 16 kilometres south of Puerto Princesa — in the opposite direction from Honda Bay. After dusk, guides paddle visitors through mangrove tunnels lit by thousands of synchronised fireflies (Pteroptyx tener), producing an ethereal natural light show that genuinely earns its reputation. It pairs well with a Honda Bay morning: do the islands by day, then head to Iwahig in the early evening. The experience is at its most vivid between October and May.

What Is Luli Island in Honda Bay?

Luli Island's name is a Filipino acronym: LUmilitaw at LIlubog — 'rises and sinks.' At low tide the island emerges as a broad white sandbar with ankle-deep turquoise water on both sides; at high tide much of it disappears beneath the surface. It's the most photogenic stop on the island-hopping circuit and ideal for wading. Ask your boat operator to check the tide schedule before you go — arriving at low tide is the difference between a postcard scene and a thin strip of wet sand.

What Is Cowrie Island Like in Honda Bay?

Cowrie Island is the most developed of Honda Bay's islands, operated as a managed day resort with clean restrooms, a small restaurant, kayak rentals, and well-maintained beach areas — it's the most comfortable stop for families. The snorkeling just off the beach is accessible and genuinely rewarding, with coral gardens in one to three metres of water and good fish diversity. Because it's everyone's anchor stop, it can feel crowded mid-morning; arriving early or lingering after the tour boats leave gives you a much better experience.

What Should You Wear and Bring on a Honda Bay Island-hopping Tour?

Wear a swimsuit under lightweight clothes and bring reef-safe (mineral) sunscreen — chemical sunscreens are banned on most Honda Bay islands to protect the coral. A rash guard or UV-protective shirt is strongly recommended; the sun on open water between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. is brutal even on overcast days. Pack water shoes for rocky shores, a dry bag for your phone and valuables, and more food and water than you think you'll need — island stalls are limited and expensive.

Where Should You Stay If You Want Easy Access to Honda Bay?

Most visitors base themselves in Puerto Princesa City, where accommodation ranges from budget guesthouses (from around PHP 800/night) to reliable mid-range hotels such as Microtel Puerto Princesa or Quest Hotel (PHP 2,500–4,500/night). A handful of small guesthouses and ecolodges sit right on the road to Santa Lourdes Wharf, cutting your morning commute to minutes. For something special, Cowrie Island Resort operates basic nipa cottages on the island itself — you'll have the bay to yourself after day-trippers leave, though availability is limited and booking ahead is essential.

Can You See Whale Sharks at Honda Bay, Palawan?

Honda Bay is not a designated whale shark interaction site, and planned sightings there are not reliable. If whale sharks are your main goal in the Philippines, the go-to options are Donsol in Sorsogon (wild encounters, December to May) or Oslob in Cebu (year-round but controversial due to feeding). In Palawan specifically, occasional open-water whale shark encounters occur on liveaboard dive trips around Tubbataha Reef; check with Puerto Princesa-based dive operators for the most current sighting reports.

What Is the Best Time of Year to Visit Honda Bay?

November through May is the reliable window, when Palawan's dry season brings calm seas and clear skies — the conditions Honda Bay island-hopping depends on. February and March are the sweet spot: low humidity, minimal rain, and seas settled enough that every island on the circuit is accessible. The southwest monsoon (June to October) brings choppy water and frequent cancellations; if you're visiting then, build flexibility into your itinerary and ask operators the morning of your tour whether conditions are safe.

How Much Does a Honda Bay Island-hopping Tour Cost in Total?

Budget roughly PHP 1,000–1,500 per person all-in on a shared-boat tour covering three islands — this typically includes the boat share, environmental fee (around PHP 100), and per-island entrance fees (PHP 50–200 each). A private bangka for two to four people runs PHP 1,500–2,500 for the boat itself, with the same per-person island fees on top. Snorkel gear rental adds roughly PHP 100–200 per person if you don't bring your own. Confirm rates at the wharf on the day, as prices shift seasonally.

How Does Honda Bay Snorkeling Compare to El Nido or Coron?

Honda Bay's snorkeling is pleasant and accessible rather than world-class — healthy coral gardens, sea stars, colourful reef fish, and occasional sea turtles in generally calm, clear water, but without the dramatic walls and density of marine life you'd find at Coron or the remote reefs around El Nido. That said, Honda Bay wins on convenience: it's a 30-minute ride from Puerto Princesa with no long transfers or overnight journeys required. If underwater exploration is the centrepiece of your Palawan trip, prioritise El Nido or Coron; if you're passing through Puerto Princesa anyway, Honda Bay is absolutely worth a morning.